With all the subplots in Friday night's showdown between the Toronto Rock and Rochester Knighthawks, a 13-10 Knighthawks victory, it was easy to forget just how good this game was supposed to be.

In the blue sweaters, a familiar number 93 emerged. Kim Squire, who had missed all thirteen Rock games this season, was making his triumphant return after a frightening bout with flesh-eating disease.

Also lurking around was the newest Rock player, Chris Driscoll, acquired a day ago from New York, for a little-used defenseman and three draft picks.

Did we mention that Driscoll is the reigning NLL Player of the Month?

On the other side, Curt Malawsky, whose back injury cost him seven games, was, well, back. Yes, he played last week in Buffalo, but he was barely visible against the league-leading Bandits.

There was also the matter of The Streak -- while the Knighthawks have never won in Toronto (0-7 alltime), they've also never lost to the Rock at Blue Cross Arena (5-0).

Oh yeah, and there was a game being played.

We told you how easy it was to overlook that triviality.

There was nothing trivial about the first few goals, though. Shawn Williams fed John Grant for an early goal, putting the Knighthawks ahead, 1-0, in the first minute.

Less than three minutes later, Squire scored, charging to the net after a pass from Colin Doyle and bouncing one home.

Squire then turned to the crowd, pumped his right fist, and held the pose for a few seconds. Perhaps for some other player at some other time, that might be seen as a bit much for a first-quarter goal.

But when you've almost lost that hand to necrotizing fascitis and you've just scored your first goal back doing what you love, you can probably get away with pumping that fist all night long.

"We saved the ball from that first goal," Rock captain Jim Veltman said. "We were really happy for him on the bench. Those are the kinds of things that make playing a lot of fun."

If this was Hollywood, Squire's bounce shot goal would have been the first of six or seven. Unfortunately, the tale of Kimbo's comeback game faded to black after that -- no more goals, and no assists.

Instead, it was fellow young Rock stars Aaron Wilson and Doyle who scored the rest of the quarter for Toronto. Wilson's goal gave the Rock a 2-1 lead at the five-minute mark, but Doyle's was a run-stopper, closing the period at 4-3 with a tenth of a second to spare.

In the meantime, though, Cory Bomberry, Mike Hasen, and Derek Malawsky struck for the Knighthawks. Ironically, Malawsky's goal, assisted by brother Curt and goaltender Pat O'Toole, came with Squire in the penalty box for slashing.

Chris Schiller made it 5-3 with an even-strength goal at 1:38, but Blaine Manning took it back almost exactly two minutes later.

The rest of the quarter belonged to Rochester. Grant scored unassisted with five minutes to play in the half, and Tim Soudan struck a few minutes later for a 7-4 lead.

Following intermission, Toronto pushed hard to tie the game. Manning took a pass from Kevin Finneran and buried it behind O'Toole at 4:32, but Curt Malawsky replied just a half-minute later.

Toronto broke through a little, using goals from Steve Toll and Doyle to move within one, at 8-7, but the Knighthawks' defense dug in, keeping the game scoreless until Williams scored at 14:14.

Manning opened the fourth quarter with a power play goal, but Curt Malawsky had the answer a couple minutes later.

Inside of four minutes to play, Toronto again made it a one-goal game (Finneran this time), and Rochester again shut the door (Williams, just eighteen seconds later).

After just a half-minute, Curt Malawsky made it a desperate situation for the Rock, scoring off a pass from Grant for a 12-9 lead.

Toll narrowed it to a two-goal contest with just 1:17 to play, but the Rock, no less desperate than before, began challenging the stick of every Knighthawk scorer the rest of the game.

The ploy erased a goal by Bomberry, but let stand an empty-netter from Derek Malawsky, with just thirteen seconds to play.

The final seconds ticked off without distinction, and the Knighthawks, still alive in their race to catch Buffalo atop the Central Division, extended their home streak against the Rock to six games.

Give O'Toole a lot of the credit for that, making 47 saves for the victory.

"He’s been the difference for seven or eight weeks," Knighthawks coach Paul Day said. "I keep saying that he gives us a chance to win every night and he’s playing stellar. He’s at the top of his game right now, it’s the best I’ve seen him play."

"We had our chances to win," Rock coach Les Bartley added, "but Patty O’Toole was the difference in the game."

Curt Malawsky did his part by scoring three goals.

"I wasn’t sure about my back," he said. "I was in some pain, but I realized I could take some pops against Buffalo."

"It’s all about confidence, and when you get your confidence good things can happen for you. I just got myself open tonight and my teammates got me the ball in front of the net and that’s my job, to put it in."

Younger brother Derek added two goals and three assists, leading the Knighthawks with five points.

Doyle scored two goals and assisted on four others to lead the Rock, which could have clinched a playoff spot with a victory.

Anthony Cosmo, who got the start in goal for Toronto because Bob Watson was suffering from a sinus infection, made 36 saves.

BOX SUMMARY
                                      1  2  3  4     TOT
Toronto Rock (10-4)                   3  1  3  3  --  10
Rochester Knighthawks (8-4)           4  3  2  4  --  13

TORONTO ROCK                  ROCHESTER KNIGHTHAWKS
               G - A   PTS                   G - A   PTS
Doyle          2 - 4     6    D Malawsky     2 - 3     5
Manning        3 - 1     4    C Malawsky     3 - 1     4
Toll           2 - 1     3    Grant          2 - 2     4
Finneran       1 - 2     3    Co Bomberry    1 - 3     4
Driscoll       0 - 3     3    S Williams     2 - 1     3
Wilson         1 - 1     2    Hasen          1 - 1     2
Cosmo          0 - 2     2    Schiller       1 - 1     2
Ji Veltman     0 - 2     2    O'Toole        0 - 2     2
K Squire       1 - 0     1    Soudan         1 - 0     1
Chapman        0 - 1     1    Hollenbeck     0 - 1     1
Gibson         0 - 1     1    Penny          0 - 1     1
                              Turner         0 - 1     1

Shots on goal           57    Shots on goal           49
Saves made by (GA)      36    Saves made by (GA)      47
   Cosmo (12)        36          O'Toole (10)      47
Penalties                4    Penalties                8
Penalty Minutes          8    Penalty Minutes         16
Power Play Chances       7    Power Play Chances       3
Power Play Goals         3    Power Play Goals         1
   Finneran           1          D Malawsky         1
   Manning            1
   Wilson             1
Shorthanded Goals        0    Shorthanded Goals        0
Loose Balls             69    Loose Balls             72
   Chapman            9          Hasen             11
   Cosmo              9          O'Toole            8
   Ji Veltman         9          Grant              6
                                 Thorpe             6
                                 Turner             6
Faceoffs Won            13    Faceoffs Won            15
   Merrill      ( 7- 9)          Co Bomberry  (11- 4)
   Toll         ( 6- 6)          Thorpe       ( 3- 6)
                                 Soudan       ( 1- 2)
                                 Hollenbeck   ( 0- 1)

 *** STATS OFFICIAL BY VERIFY WITH ROCHESTER K'HAWKS ***